Fourtet: Rounds
(Reviewed here) In which Hebden refines and outstrips Pause to make an electronic record that actually breathes. I catch something new every time I listen to it. His best work yet.
Xela: For Frosty Mornings…
A modest and wistful album that matches is title. Subtle and evocative; the equivalent of watching frost etch its way across a windowpane.
Postal Service: Give Up
A continuation of last year’s Benjamin Gibbard/Dntel collaboration. Some of the catchiest stuff you’ll hear this year. Good enough that the few glaring mis-steps (read the lyrics to “Nothing Better”) can be easily overlooked.
Notwist: Neon Golden (US version)
A record which channels everything from vintage New Order to Wire without missing a beat. “Pilot” is one of the best singles this year and comes off (strangely enough) as a post-rock successor to REM’s “Driver 8.”
Yasume: Where We’re from the Birds Sing a Pretty Song
Xela side project using source material from the “Twin Peaks” soundtrack. Continued...